Combined inhaler and medicament-holder



(No Model.)

' T. M. DUNHAM.

COMBINED INHALER AND MEDIGAMENT HOLDER.

No. 482,083. Patented Sept. 6, 1892.

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THOMAS M. DUNHAM, OF OCEAN GROVE, NEXV JERSEY.

COMBINED INHALER AND MEDlCAMENT-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,083, dated September 6, 1892.

Application filed June 11, 1892. Serial No. 436,394. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. DUNHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ocean Grove, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Portable Holder for Medicaments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a portable receptacle or holder for receiving and liberating in aprescribed manner medicaments of a volatile nature, and in this particular instance is designed and constructed as a household or pocket device for containing a volatile counter-irritant, said substance being placed within the box, which by its arrangement permits the counter-irritant to vaporize or volatilize therefrom in proximity to the seat of disease or pain.

My invention has for its object to divide a portable metallic holder or box for the aforesaid purpose which will be of a convenient size and form, ornamental in appearance, cheap in first cost and manufacture, non-corrosive and non oxidizable, and so constructed and arranged as to be readily filled and operated, and when filled capable of preventing any undue escape or evaporation of the medicament contained therein.

For the attainment of these several objects my invention consists, essentially, in a portable metallic box having a removable or detachable cover for normally preventing the escape of the remedial agent and an interior chamber divided into two communicating yet separated compartments, and means whereby the fluid-reservoir can be filledat will and the said fluid at required times admitted from the fluid-reservoir to the lower compartment containing an absorbent material or packing designed to absorb and retain the counterirritant until it assumes a volatile form by exposure to the atmosphere by the removal of the lid or cover.

My invention consists, further, in certain details of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter, and the specific points of novelty in which Will be particularly designated in the appended claims, forming a part of this specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my which the remedy evaporates.

improved holder or box. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the same with the cover removed to show the wire gauze or screen through Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating my invention in a complete and salable form.

Like letters of reference indicate like or corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, A indicates the removable top or cover, and B the receptacle or casing proper, both the cover and receptacle severally being substantially in the form of a frustum of a cone and provided, respectively, on their sides with a series of concen- I trio peripheral concave grooves or depressions a a, stamped in the sheet metal of which the holder is made and running serially around the exterior of said top and body both for the purpose of ornamention and to facilitate the grasp of the hands in the removal or replacement of the lid or cover A, as will be readily understood.

The main portion of receptacle B of the holder is divided into the upper and lower compartments 1) 5 (see Fig. 1) by the diskshaped partition or diaphragm G, which is provided with a central orifice or perforation c and is soldered or otherwise securely fastened to the interior wall of the receptacle B at a predetermined or prescribed point,in order to thereby render the compartments b b of the required relative sizes, the chamber 5 being the receptacle for the medicament or counter-irritant in a fluid state, while the space I) is filled with an absorbent packing D, consisting of anumber of superposed disks of felt or other suitable material,designed to absorb the fluid remedy, with which said packing can be saturated ad libitum by the removal of the end of the Vertically-operating valve-screw E, which fits snugly and in a water-tight manner in the mouth of the orifice 0, being made with a comically-shaped end f, corresponding to the shape of the depression f circumscribing the said perforation c. This screw E passes through and is supported by the screw-threaded wall of the central aperture g, formed in the head F of the receptacle, and when in a position closing the opening 0, as shown in Fig. 1, its head i is flush with the exterior surface of the head F by reason of the circular depression or recess h surrounding the headt' and serving as a duct or funnel for filling the compartment 19, through the aperture g, with the fluid agent when it is desirable or necessary to replenish the contents of compartment 11. The lower compartment 1) is smaller in area and diameter than the upper, owing to the contracted cap or depending flange j, constituting the side wall of said compartment, and having on its circular exterior surface screw-threads corresponding to similarly-arranged threads on the interior circular wall of the flange 7c of the top or cover A, whereby the latter can be removed and replaced before and after using the medicament.

G designates a thin circular metallic gauze screen or disk longitudinally and transversely secured across the bottom of com partment 1) to the interior of the casing B and is provided with numerous small holes or interstices, through which the latter, the volatile fluid with which the packing D is saturated,-

will find egress in an evaporated form, and when thus liberated is free to exert its influence upon the part or location in proximity thereto, it being understood that in use the lid or cover A is removed and at other times is replaced. The lid A is formed in one single piece out of sheet metal, while the receptacleB is made in separate portions, the side of the compartment 1) having a flaring circular flange or lip Z, which is soldered around within the overlapping edgem of the head F, which edge is turned and seamed, as shown in Fig. 1, around under the flange I.

As before stated, the portions A and B are substantially in the form of frustums of a cone; but it will be seen that the former portion is when in the position shown in Fig. 3 an inverted frustum of a cone.

In use the compartmentb is first filled with my remedy,which is passed through the aperture g, passing into compartment 19, from whence it will gradually drip through orifice 0, thus saturating the packing D in chamber 1). When sufficient fluid has been absorbed by the packing, the flow can be readily arrested by the insertion of the screw E, with its conical point stopping up the orifice c. If at any subsequent time the diminution of strength of the remedy is noticeable, the packing can be then recharged by a slight turn of the screw E, thus removing the impediment to the downward drip of the fluid.

The exterior of the holder is preferably plated for the sake of cleanliness and appearance, and by its peculiar construction is airtight, self-feeding, andconveniently portable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. A metallic holder for medicaments, comprisinga casing divided into two communicating compartments, a diaphragm having a perforation therein and separating said compartments, and an adjustable screw fittingin and governing the admission of fluid from one compartment to the other, substantially as specified.

2. In a portable metallic holder for medicaments, the combination, with the exterior casing of the receptacle provided with a filling port or duct, of a diaphragm interiorly placed within said casing and provided with an orifice and an adjustable screw seated in the filling-port and terminating in a valve-point fitting the orifice of the said diaphragm, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownI have hereto aifixed my signature in 80 the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS M. DUNI-IAM.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR H. HOPE, JOHN A. BORDEN. 

